Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has apparently been traumatized enough by this year’s floods to tell a meeting that preparations for the 2026 monsoon must be set in motion. This is the attitude that is required of the government, especially as the effects of climate change include a worsening of weather conditions, which means, among other things, that monsoonal floods will be worse, and as bad as this year’s floods have been, coming years will see a repetition. This is likely to be the new normal with which the government will have to contend. Speaking very roughly, with a monsoon extending roughly from mid-July to the end of October, The time for preparation is thus about eight months, with about four months of execution. Of course, some preparations are only possible in the light of weather forecasts, and while it is now possible to give broad brushstrokes, the kind of forecasts needed for proper planning cannot be achieved without forecasts which will only be available much later in the year.
While talking about this year’s floods, which are not yet over, Mr Sharif was emphatic that those affected be given relief and rehabilitation, and also issued special directions that the federal government should support the provincial governments in their relief and rehabilitation efforts. Indeed, as the governments cannot very well be expected to stop the floods, the relief and rehabilitation efforts are where the government is best able to intervene. Mr Sharif’s direction that preparations for next year’s monsoon start is a clear indication that he thought this year’s effort has fallen short. That has been a constant complaint the whole season of citizens, and a couple of dramatic incidents, where there was not enough warning given, has merely made matters worse.
One of the most regrettable aspects to emerge is that the rehabilitation of the victims of the 2023 floods has not been completed. Another thing that has been highlighted has been the building of residential societies in flood plains. Apart from penalizing those who gave these societies permission, how those societies are to be shifted and where, must be a priority. The annual ritual of clearing the gutters in urban areas must be replaced by proper urban waste management, which would prevent such scenes as those witnessed this season in Karachi especially. The government should also advocate for climate justice internationally. However, it is more important to ensure climate justice at home.
